1. Preliminary Findings: Recovery Center Outcome Study
Robert Walker, Jennifer Cole, Erin Stevenson, Allison Scrivner, TK Logan, Brittany Michael, Jennifer Braun & Tom Jackson
University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and UK Department of Behavioral Science

2. Background
Modeled after the Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study (KTOS), RCOS examines baseline to follow-up changes in substance abuse related behaviors among individuals participating in residential recovery services.
Beginning in 2009, Recovery Centers were trained to collect data as individuals entered Phase I recovery services.

3. Study design
This is a pre-test/post-test design using two time points for measuring behavior
Baseline = admission to Phase I recovery services
Follow-up = 6 months after leaving Phase I (approximately 12 months post baseline)
Individuals consent to be part of the follow-up interviews
The study is approved by the University of Kentucky Medical IRB

4. Research Questions
Two fundamental questions regarding outcomes from participation in the Recovery Centers are the focus of the report using RCOS data:
Do individuals participating in residential recovery experience significant improvement in the rate of abstinence after their residential stays?
Are there estimable cost reductions to society resulting from the Recovery Center episodes?

6. Preliminary Findings
This report summarizes the first wave of follow-up interviews with 206 individuals who were in Phase I recovery services in 2009 and 2010.
Individuals were randomly selected for follow-up interviews.
To be eligible, individuals had to not be in controlled environments at the time of follow-up.
We had a 94.5% follow-up rate.

7. Follow-up interviews by Recovery Center
The sample includes randomly selected cases who:
Completed a baseline RCOS interview at Phase 1 intake
Completed follow-up telephone RCOS interview with UKCDAR about 6 months after leaving Phase 1
Follow-up dates were between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011
Recovery Centers Represented %
George Privett Recovery Center
24.8
Women’s Addiction Recovery Manor
19.9
Brighton Center
16.0
Morehead Inspiration Center
11.2
Cumberland Hope Community Center for Women
9.7
Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women
4.8
The Healing Place Women’s Program
The Hope Center for Women
4.4
Trilogy Center
2.4
Owensboro Regional Recovery Center
1.5
The Healing Place Men’s Program
0.5

8. Sample Characteristics Percent or Mean Female 61.7% Mean age
33.1 years
Race
White
90.7%
Black/African American
7.4%
Multiracial
0.5%
Other race/ethnicity (e.g., Native American, Hispanic, Asian)
1.5%
Marital status
Never married
37.9%
Married
16.5%
Separated
11.7%
Divorced/widowed
30.6%
Cohabiting
3.4%

9. Satisfaction with Recovery Center Services
Individuals reported high levels of satisfaction with the Recovery Center programs, rating their overall experience an average of 8.7 on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 representing the best experience.
Worst Best
Use of Recovery Support Groups
The number of individuals who reported going to mutual help recovery group meetings like AA/NA/MA increased from 45.3% at baseline to 81.1% at follow-up, representing a 79.1% increase.

10. Percent increase in use of mutual-help recovery meetings in the past 30 days
+116.7%***
+60.7%***
+79.1%***
Four cases had missing data for mutual help recovery group meetings at follow-up.
Significance established using z test for proportions.

11. Percent increase in recovery supportive interactions with family/friends in the past 30 days
+24.6%***
+13.5%***
+17.4%***
One case reported transgender as gender and is excluded from this analysis.
Significance established using z test for proportions.

12. Why abstinence is important
The average annual cost to society of an active alcohol or drug user in 2011 dollars is $25,189.
Applying this average annual cost to the 92.2% who were active users at baseline, we arrive at an annual cost to society of $4,785,910.
By follow-up after a Recovery Center stay of about 6 months, the cost of the 24.9% who were still active users and not yet abstinent can be estimated at $1,284,639.

13. Substance Abstinence from Intake to Follow-up (n=206)

14. Change in Cost to Society at Baseline and Follow-up (Amounts in millions of dollars) (n=206)

15. Cost Savings from Recovery Services
Examining the total avoided costs in relation to expenditures on recovery services, the figures translate to read that for every dollar spent on recovery, there was a $2.92 return in avoided costs.

16. Decreased Criminal Justice Involvement
The number of individuals who reported being arrested decreased significantly from 71.4% at baseline to 11.3% at follow-up, which was an 84.1% decrease.
The number of individuals who reported spending time in jail or prison decreased significantly from 74.1% at baseline to 11.3% at follow-up, which was an 84.9% decrease.

17. Reductions in victim costs of crime
Arrests by type of crime
Estimated cost per arrest
Past 12 month arrests at baseline
Cost of crimes at baseline
Past 12 month arrests at follow-up
Cost of crimes
at follow-up
Reduction in cost
Drug
$4,133 65
$268,645 2
$8,266
$260,379
Property
$17,803 59
$1,050,377 7
$124,621
$925,756
Violence
$41,274 15
$619,110 1
$577,836
DUI
$27,171 27
$733,617
Total --
166
$2,671,749 10
$174,161
$2,497,588

18. Reductions in incarceration costs
Jail time and costs
12 months prior to baseline
6 months prior to follow-up
Reduction
Overall number of nights spent in jail or prison in the past 12 months*
15,923
882
15,041
Annualized total estimated cost of prison stays at an average of $46.65 per night
$742,808
$41,145
$701,663

19. Implications for the future
These preliminary findings suggest that both the behavioral outcomes and cost savings from recovery services are parallel to the outcomes from substance abuse treatment.
Recovery Centers add an important new component to the array of publicly supported substance abuse interventions.
State-funded treatment programs typically focus on shorter residential stays and a wide array of outpatient services.
Recovery Centers complement these services with longer term residential care and provide critical support to the aims of HB 463.

20. To find the report
In the near future, this report will be posted at
It will also be available at the Recovery Kentucky website
Questions or comments:
Erin Stevenson or Robert Walker
UK CDAR, 333 Waller Avenue, Suite 480
Lexington, KY 40504 or